Mark McCracken
Background * D, candidate in 2008 * http://www.mccrackenforcongress.com Issues : Harvested Feb 24, 2008 Alterative Energy We must invest in domestically produced alternative energy solutions. As Clearfield County Commissioner I am truly excited about the impact my county will have in establishing the alternative energy industry in Pennsylvania. Clearfield County will be the home of the first ethanol plant in the state of Pennsylvania with the Bionol Clearfield project that recently broke ground. The Bionol project is not only important because it will produce 108 million gallons of ethanol per year but, it will also be home to a research facility / pilot plant that will find new ways to produce ethanol from other sources. Clearfield County is also slated for a second ethanol facility to be constructed in Curwensville by Sunnyside Ethanol. We're proving we can make fuel right here in north central Pennsylvania. When I'm elected to Congress, a top priority will be to push for more domestically produced fuel. Our national security depends on getting away from Middle East oil. In the short run, domestically produced fuel may appear to cost more, but compared to to OPEC's $100 per barrel plus 3/4 of a trillion dollars for the Iraq war and almost 4,000 lives of brave soldiers lost. I think few cents more for domestically produced fuel is worth it. Economic & Rural Development As we've done in Clearfield County, counties throughout the 5th District must identify new industries that fit the region. Clearfield County has been fortunate that the alternative fuels and private energy production industries identified north central Pennsylvania as a place to locate and invest in. We've had success in Clearfield County through a partnership of local, county, state and federal government officials working with private industry and community economic development leaders to bring these new industries to the region. Another area that we are utilizing in Clearfield County to help foster growth and interest in the region is the promotion of tourism. We were fortunate that Governor Ed Rendell and Representative John Peterson, working together in a bi-partisan effort, proposed the Pennsylvania Wilds as a regional tourism promotion initiative. The most important component of the Pennsylvania Wilds plan is that the member counties recognize that standing alone, we don't have the single attraction to bring in visitors, but, working together, we have numerous attractions that visitors from across the nation and around the world want to see. The Pennsylvania Wilds is a plan that I've fully supported from day one and we can continue to build on in the future. One area I will concentrate on is community and rural development. We have many wonderful and historical communities throughout the 5th District. I will work with local leaders as they identify projects that will restore and enhance the historical beauty of their communities. Currently as a county commissioner, I have been working with officials in Clearfield Borough on projects to revitalize the downtown area and enhance the West Branch of the Susquehanna River as an attraction for the community. As county commissioner, I've also worked with officials in the City of DuBois to provide funding through Growing Greener and county tourism promotion grants to support important projects in the DuBois area. We also must continue to address the need to bring infrastructure development, specifically public water and sewer, to the most rural areas of the district. Water and sewer projects have been a long standing priority of the Clearfield County Commissioners and we have specifically dedicated our federal CDBG funds for these projects for several years. Our citizens, regardless of how far out of town they live, deserve to have a clean and reliable supply of water. Education It is time for Washington to get out of the business of writing classroom standards for local public school systems. No Child Left Behind is a failure, partly because the federal government is severely under funding education. The national education policy should be to provide adequate funding so every student gets the books, equipment and facilities they need to learn. The federal government needs to let state and local officials set the actual teaching policies for the public school systems. Let the local school boards, administrators, teachers, parents and community leaders run their school districts. Farming & Agriculture We must recognize how important our farming and agriculture is to our nations security. In the 5th District alone, our farming community is the most important, but probably least recognized, asset to our economy. There are two important areas I feel we must invest in to protect and enhance the future for the farming and agricultural industry. First, we must invest more in agricultural education programs in our public school systems. During the 10 years I spent on the Clearfield Area School District Board of Directors, I witnessed many nearby school districts make severe cuts to their agricultural education programs. I am proud to report that the board members I served with recognized the importance of agricultural education and the Clearfield Area School District continues to have a strong program. The second important issue that must be addressed on a national level is farmland preservation. This is a priority issue for two organizations that I am involved with, the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania and the Penn-Ag Democrats. As we've grown as a nation, farmland has disappeared and once it's gone, it will be hard, if not impossible, to ever restore. We must protect and preserve our existing farmlands and plan for the needs of future generations. Fiscal Responsibility by the Federal Government I believe the federal government must get the federal budget balanced and start paying down the federal debt. The same complacency that allowed Islamic terrorists to attack us on 9/11 is happening again as Washington ignores this growing threat to our government, our economy and our security as a nation. We owe it to our children and grandchildren to clean up the federal government's financial mess once and for all so they won't have to pay for this generation's fiscal mismanagement. As the Bush Economy continues to stall, leaving millions of hard-working Americans in the cold, the American people continue to be fed up with Republicans' failed economic policies that have led to stagnating wages, rising gas prices and millions more Americans joining the ranks of the uninsured. They are also fed up with the rubber-stamp Republican Congress that has blindly supported these economic policies that have hurt millions of middle class families. Health Care A comprehensive health care solution is what is needed. My proposal would be to include 3 specific elements to solve the health care crisis and build bipartisan support. * Element 1: Affordable coverage for those who need it. The federal government would create an insurance pool fund to provide coverage to those currently on Medicare / Medicaid. Additionally, individuals and small businesses could opt in to buy either full or supplemental coverage through the national pool fund. It would not be mandatory for everyone to join, but the national pool fund would be an available and affordable option for everyone. * Element 2: Protection for our Doctors and Medical Facilities. We must take away the constant threat of malpractice lawsuits that hang over our doctors and hospitals. Strict limits should be placed on malpractice claims and only the most deliberate mistakes should be eligible for multi-million dollar legal settlements. * Element 3: Grants and Low Interest Loans for research and upgrading hospitals. We must insure that every medical facility, even in the inner cities and the remote rural areas have the ability to obtain the most up to date medical technology and equipment. Additionally, funding should be provided for research and development of new treatments and medicines. I-80 Tolling As Clearfield County Commissioner, I’ve already joined the fight against the tolling of I-80. The Clearfield County Commissioners started writing letters in opposition to the tolling of I-80 just a few days after the plan came out of Harrisburg. The county commissioners from the counties on the I-80 corridor are the best organized group working against the tolling of I-80. As a county commissioner, I know first hand what a valuable asset Interstate 80 is to our existing businesses, our efforts to attract new business to the region and our efforts to promote the region for tourism purposes. Trucking companies that located near to I-80 are already paying more than their fair share to utilize not only Interstate 80, but all public roads. They pay fuel taxes and sales tax on the equipment they purchase along with license and registration fees. I-80 was designed to be a FREEway, built to be a FREEway and should remain a FREEway. If elected to Congress, I will continue the fight against I-80 tolling that Representative John Peterson started and will work closely with the elected officials, business and community leaders to stop the tolling of I-80. Iraq Whoever is elected the next President is going to have to set a policy to end the Iraq war. First, I would like to work with the next President to restore good relations with our long time allies in Europe. Then, remind these allies that the United States rebuilt their countries after World War II and ask for the help of all of our allies to design a plan to stabilize the Middle East. A key player in financing the stabilization plan must be Saudi Arabia. The plan must include bringing home the majority of our military from Iraq as soon as possible. The Bush administration has spent almost three quarters of a trillion dollars on this war and the US military fatalities will soon go over 4,000 deaths. Landfills and the Import of Out of State Garbage This is an issue that I have quite a bit of experience in and the Clearfield County Commissioners have been fighting against for over a decade. A few months into my first term as Clearfield County Commissioner a landfill developer from outside the region came in and announced plans to build a huge landfill in Boggs Township, Clearfield County. This is on top of a landfill that has been trying to open in Chest Township, Clearfield County for over a decade along with the proposed landfill in Rush Township, Centre County just over the eastern border of Clearfield County. My fellow commissioners and I have stood steadfastly against this type of development coming to the area. It will have a huge negative impact on our economic development and tourism promotion efforts. Our recently updated county comprehensive plan calls for new and innovative industry for the county. But, we had numerous meetings to gather public input for the comprehensive plan and the message was clear from our citizens – NO LANDFILLS. I’ve been questioned, how will you work on this issue at the federal level in Congress? The problem needs to be attacked at the federal level through the laws governing interstate commerce. The courts have ruled in the past that garbage is “interstate commerce” and is allowed to move, unimpeded, across state lines. Strange, because I thought commerce was something you made that I wanted or vice versa. Not something that you want rid of that I don’t want as is the case with garbage. Two things need to be addressed to stop the flow of garbage out of the metropolitan areas to be dumped in beautiful, pristine areas like north central Pennsylvania. First, the flow of garbage must be regulated and the ruling that it is “interstate commerce”, the same as food or manufactured products, must be changed. Second, the federal government should put stricter mandates on recycling and reuse of materials. If elected to Congress, I will work to stop the flow of garbage into our region. Protecting Our Rights & Freedoms The Second Amendment & Protecting Our Rights and Freedoms During the last 8 years, in the name of "national security", too many of our rights and freedoms as law abiding citizens have been tampered with. As your congressman, I will work to restore these rights and freedoms. We must find and prosecute foreign terrorists but we must protect the long standing rights of our citizens. Specifically, I will support and protect all Second Amendment rights guaranteed to law abiding citizens. Another important aspect of supporting Second Amendment rights is recognizing the positive impact that outdoor sports has on our regional economy. Sportsmen both local and from far away pump millions of dollars annually into the economy of the north central region. As a member of Congress, I will fight to protect Second Amendment rights for individuals and I will fight to protect these rights for our regional economy and the many businesses that rely on outdoor sports and gun enthusiasts. Social Security The Social Security system must be maintained for all future generations. It is one of the greatest initiatives that the federal government ever enacted for the citizens of this nation. One thing that Congress must enact as soon as possible is legislation to keep Social Security funds separate from other government funds. The days of borrowing from the Social Security Trust Fund must end. Support for our Veterans While out campaigning, I’ve been sharing the story about a World War II veteran from Clearfield County who contacted me recently. His immediate problem was that he needed a ride to a cardiac treatment appointment at a VA medical facility in Pittsburgh. We found him a ride to his appointment, which solved his immediate problem but this brought to light a more troubling issue. Here is an 80 something veteran who proudly served his country that has to travel to Pittsburgh to get medical treatment that is available locally at the DuBois Regional Medical Center, home of a nationally recognized cardiac care unit. If I’m elected to Congress, this is a problem I will work on for our veterans. While the VA hospital system is a valuable resource for our veterans, the federal government should allow the VA to subcontract with local hospitals so veterans, especially the elderly ones, can get medical treatments closer to home. Our World War II veterans went to Europe, Africa and the Pacific to protect us, the least we can do is let them stay close to home for medical treatment. We also need to be ready to support our soldiers once they return from Iraq and Afghanistan. They’re over there doing their job, protecting our country and our way of life. The least we can do is welcome them back and make sure they have the support they need to return to civilian life and for any medical issues including mental stress. Trade The United States must start negotiating trade policies that protect our jobs and decrease the imbalance of trade with other nations. Free trade is a must in a balanced world economy but it must also include fair trade practices on an equal playing field. McCracken,Mark category:Planks_from_elsewhere